In the petroleum retail industry, fuel dispensers are often controlled and monitored by a dispenser controller located in a building where other items are available for sale. The dispenser controller has a wire connection to the dispensers for transferring data signals for controlling and monitoring the dispensing process. The controller sends command signals to the dispensers, and the dispensers send response signals to the controller. Commands to the dispensers include price per gallon to be charged for the fuel at each pump, preset limits of fuel to be dispensed, and pump authorization. Responses from the dispensers include pump number, pump status, and dispensed fuel volume and value.
Several U.S. patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,550,859 issued to Dow Jr et al and 4,247,899 issued to Schiller et al relate to control devices for controlling mechanical fuel pumps. Mechanical fuel pumps use a gearing arrangement in the dispenser head to calculate and display the amount and cost of dispensed fuel on a numbered wheel. The dollar amount of the fuel dispensed is displayed on the controller. This information is taken from the controller and keyed into the cash register by an attendant at the site.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,943 issued to Walter E. Warn, and assigned to Progressive International Electronics, relates to a fuel pump control card which is a dispenser control device inserted in an expansion slot of a PC for controlling electronic dispensers. Electronic dispensers have a built-in processor for calculating and displaying the volume and dollar value of the fuel dispensed. A microprocessor on the fuel pump control card communicates with the processor in the dispenser for controlling the dispensers. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 98,064 having common inventors and assignee relates to an external dispenser control device which has port connection to a PC or cash register.
In brief, the present invention provides for a fuel dispenser-cash register control console which controls both fuel dispensers and cash register using a common microprocessor. The console is coupled to a cash register through a register interface circuit for down-loading sales information to a department in the cash register at the end of the transaction. There are advantages to automatically ringing up fuel sales at the end of the transaction. When an attendant reads sales information from a control console and transfers it to a cash register, he may mis-key the information of intentionally enter false information. Automatically down-loading sales information from the dispenser controller to the cash register prevents this.
While the present invention uses a similar command structure for controlling the dispensers as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,943, it provides several improvements. Mainly, the present fuel dispenser-cash register control console controls both the dispensers and the cash register. Through a register interface board, sales information is automatically down-loaded to a register when the transaction is paid out by the console. The register interface board locks out the register key board, down-loads the sales information, and then unlocks the key board.